The Odyssey Fitzgerald

The Odyssey

Homer
This is an ancillary book to the Great Book The Odyssey
Reading Year: 2023
Book # 44
Pages: 462
Suggested By: Mark Eleveld (for the Fitzgerald Translation)
Translation by Robert Fitzgerald
Date Started: November 19, 2023
Date Finished: November 30, 2023
11h 46m 0s

My Thoughts

See here for thoughts about my first reading of The Odyssey. This was an immediate re-read, so I’ll comment on the Fitzgerald translation and other items that stuck out during this reading.

For the Robert Fitzgerald translation, I loved how he translated Odysseus’ deceitful name as “Nohbdy” instead of Nobody or No-one. I thought that was quite clever. The second thing I really enjoyed is that Fitzgerald translated Hermes’ statements in rhyme. None of the other text in the translation rhymed except for two parts when Hermes was speaking. I just loved that. How clever.

The things that stuck out in this reading were that a sexual fidelity was required of Penelope and a directional fidelity for Odysseus. I also paid attention to the different descriptors given to Odysseus. Here were some of my favorites:

  • strategiest
  • great tactician
  • master improvisor
  • great master of invention

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On Greek Literature
A Companion to Homer’s Odyssey